Winners from the 2023 Remember Me Thursday contest!
First Place Winner – Bodhi, benefiting The Sato Project in Puerto Rico
“I’ve always had a special place in my heart for seniors. Bodhi was 16 when I adopted him and came with a few health issues, some due to age and some, presumably, neglect. On the ride home, he slept for two hours, then I carried him to the couch where he slept the rest of the night – he didn’t make a peep or get up once. The next day I tried to get him to walk and he just went all jello legs and sunk into the ground. He had a terrible cough and I was pretty worried about him.
But today Bodhi is a happy senior. He enjoys short hikes, backpacking (that’s where he enjoys seeing the sights from the comfort of his backpack), road trips, sniffing around a quiet beach in the winter off leash, good food, and, of course, he still enjoys a good snooze.
He shows us he’s happy by doing the snuffs snuffs – burying and wiping his face on my clothes and flinging himself down in his bed and scooting around in circles on his side while snorting. When he wags his tail because he’s happy to see us, he wags with his entire body.
In the last few years I got sick and I also lost my job of almost 15 years due to a restructuring event. But on my bad days (and my good ones), I’d take a lesson from Bodhi
No matter what’s going on, Bodhi is content, happy, chilling, and enjoying the ride. He just wants to be where we are. He teaches all of us to be present, content, calm, and appreciative of the simple things. We often sit outside and enjoy the sights and smells before he drifts off for another snooze. ”
Second Place Winner – Sasha, adopted from Hi Kitty Kitty in Illinois
“I’d lost my beloved soul mate, my 15 yr-old black cat Smokey, who’d been with me through a break-up, moving, quitting my job and a host of other life challenges. I was still deep in mourning four months later when I saw Sasha’s beautiful little face online, at a nearby cageless shelter. Apparently she’d been rescued after having been abandoned in a home with several other cats.
I visited the shelter and was swarmed with lovely, affectionate cats climbing on and head-butting me, but Sasha seemed to want to keep to herself up in her tree. She came down briefly to meet me, but then returned to her safe place.
Surprisingly, when I started to leave about two hours later, she jumped down and followed me out the door! I came back in to help the shelter owner coax her back to her tree, but she jumped down and followed me two more times, and the owner said she’d never done that with anyone in the six months she’d been there.
I’d had a feeling when I walked in that Sasha (formerly Greta) was my cat, but this confirmed for me that as far as she was concerned, I was her human.
It turned out that she was underweight and a bit sick and needed a lot of TLC, and along the way she helped me move forward after losing Smokey. She’s been my constant companion and demanding little diva ever since that day eight years ago, rarely more than a few feet away from me, and I don’t know what I’d do without her. She can never get enough tummy rubs and prefers to sleep on my pillow, but only when I’m on it, leaving me with a tiny corner, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Third Place Winner – Archer, adopted from Fixing the Boro in Georgia
I adopted Archer from Fixing the Boro in February of 2022, as a sophomore in college. He has changed my life completely and taught me unconditional love, responsibility, patience, and selflessness. He has given my life a sense of purpose and helped me find my passions. Since his adoption I’ve opened up my home to over 70+ foster rabbits, dogs, and cats of all ages. I’ve also become a member of a local animal rescue team. I have decided to change my career path to Veterinary science and spend all my free time dedicated to changing lives of rescue pets! I volunteer with my organization in every way I can from running their social medias, to fostering, to helping host events, and more. I wouldn’t be who I am if it weren’t for my life long furry best friend.